Cosmetics in Korea

History

Ancient times

Records of the use of cosmetics in Korea date back to the time of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and the use of makeup flourished during the Goryeo kingdom. Cosmetics were made from lotions extracted from plants, including gourd stems; Ground mung bean contains saponin and was helpful for cleansing. Castor oils and camellia oils were used as hair oil. They had a pleasant smell and were not sticky.

To moisturise and add gloss to the skin, safflower oil was used. Apricot and peach oils were used to remove freckles and liver spots. A powder called 'mibun' or 'baekbun' was made from ground rice and millet blended with water or oil.

Scents were added to extracts from grains and other plants, for example from dried clove buds. Perfume was also used to relieve stresses and tiredness. The Gyuhap Chongseo, an ancient women's encyclopedia, includes various methods for making perfume.

According to Gyuhap Chongseo, eyebrows were the central feature of a woman's face. The work describes ten popular eyebrow shapes. Crescent or willow leaf shapes were most popular. Plant ash was the basic raw material used for eyebrow ink, with which women drew their eyebrows in various shapes. The primary colors were black, blue, and dark brown.

Yeonji is the Korean name of rouge, which was used to colour the lips and cheeks. It could be made from safflower.

In the Joseon period, luxurious makeup was forbidden because of Confucianism. Upper-class women tended to copy the makeup and style of gisaeng during this period.

Modern times

Following the Treaty of Kanghwa in 1876, Korean ports opened to foreign trade and Western styles began to influence the country. New makeup styles and products became popular, stimulating Korea's cosmetics culture and enabling mass production and consumption.

Bakgabun, which means Park's powder, was the first mass-produced cosmetics item in Korea. It was the first Korean face powder and was a bestseller from 1916 to 1930. However, because of its lead content, sales then fell rapidly and similar products were quickly launched.

As Korea became a Japanese colony in 1910, Japanese cosmetics dominated and Korean cosmetics failed to develop in the 1920s. After the country was no longer under Japanese control, the Korean War that began in 1950 further disrupted the economy. Finally, around 1961, the Korean cosmetics industry began to prosper after the passage of a law banning sales of other countries' products.

End of the 2010s, South Korea banned cosmetics for which animal testing was conducted.

Contemporary times